Welcome back! It’s been FOREVER since we were here on Thefashionguitar together, but I’m so excited that we are, and even more to share our first “Home story”, created in partnership with Maisonette.
After moving into our new apartment in our favorite neighborhood on the UES, October last year, our first job was to get both childrens bedrooms ready. We’ve moved many times, within London, from London to New York City, and within New York City, but we’ve always made it a case to – no matter how the rest of the apartment looks – to finish the children’s bedrooms first! Although, this is actually the first time they are in their own room, until this apartment they’ve always shared a bedroom.
Until this apartment, James and Stella shared their bedroom and they loved it. We loved it, too, because we believed the companionship actually helped them feeling comfortable and secure when going to bed. They rarely woke up at night, or had trouble falling asleep – and I don’t necessarily think this is because of any sleep training magic, because we never did any in particular other than having a solid bedtime routine, which we vigorously sticked to. At all times.
Then there’s also an age-factor that played part in the decision to keep them together, rather than separating them. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against separate rooms, I just have more Pro’s than Con’s, and in the end of the day, it worked for us… But this doesn’t mean it’s a formula for guaranteed success. Anyway, where I’m going with this, is that what I mentioned before, about James and Stella being secure and comfortable together and the the age-factor, is simply that we feel that when they we’re younger, they had stronger emotional needs to “support” each other. Now, James being almost 10 and Stella turning 8 in a few weeks, we noticed their emotional needs around bedtime, or at night, are different. James needs his own space, his own moments before bed, and even dare I say, some sort of privacy. Or call it personal space. Stella is definitely not 100% there yet, emotionally. She asks us frequently if she can sleep with James, or James with her, but sadly for Stella, James refuses more often than that he says yes. Stella therefore, we think, asked us if the new baby – arriving end of October if all goes well – can stay in her room. We obviously said yes to that, but explained that he will first be in our room, until he’s sleeping through the night. She agreed. We all agreed. And we went back to implementing a solid bedtimes routine for both of them, in separate rooms – god is this a challenge, after their summer break! But a week in, a week of waking up early for school, we feel we are getting there… now we have to just stick to it!
But sorry, I know you didn’t come here for parenting advice – nor do I want this platform to be the focus of that – but for children’s bedrooms ideas, so let’s get to it!
For both rooms one thing was very clear from the start; I wanted a design infused feeling, but with modern basis. Primal colors were a must, too, that I knew ever since I saw the Kelly Green bed on Maisonette – which ended up in James’ room. Stella always wanted a bunk bed, and with her room being more rectangle shaped than the squared room James was going to sleep in, it felt like the perfect fit. Plus, they now both had also space for a guest – when sleepovers are back on the menu again. Oeuf is a favorite furniture brand in our household, and with the Oeuf desk that moved from the old apartment to this in, it was an easy choice to go for a bunkbed from this brand.
Accessories around the bed we kept simple, but in line with the color palette of the room and the style we were vibe we were trying to achieve. For James this meant a more grownup atmosphere in Kelly green and Cook’s blue – by Farrow & Ball – and darker wooden undertones, for Stella bright and happy mixing boldly tones of red and pink, and a beautiful wallpaper by Work + Sea.
Desk pace is more important than ever! Where before the pandemic the kids would do most of their schoolwork at the dining table, homeschooling brought the importance of their own “work space” to be free to do Zoom classes and virtual playdates. Also a place to relax – preferably with a rocking chair if you ask Stella – became an important part of their room. It’s like their room became mini-apartments so that when we are at home with the four – soon five – of us, we don’t have to constantly sit, work, or read on top of each other. The pandemic definitely made it very clear we all are at some points during the day in need of our “own space” and with a bedroom that offers a little bit of everything, we served the kids the best we could!
Thank you Maisonette to making our children’s bedroom dream become reality. For the wonderful team that came over to photograph and film – stay tuned for this one – the old and the new!
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